Three-dimensional combination toys or puzzles, in which different combinations of colours or pictures or numbers may be produced by moving blocks in three dimension, are known. The ultimate aim of these amusement devices is common, namely, to manipulate the plurality of elements to different positions in an attempt to reproduce a predetermined pattern. Puzzles, with similar purposes, have been invented with various overall shapes.
For example, the popular Rubik's Cube.RTM. is in the form of a cube consisting of a plurality of manipulatable cubical elements which by rotation can be moved to different positions, the object being to reproduce the original pattern of cubical facets on all six faces of the cube.
Another form of hand-manipulatable three-dimensional puzzle is described and illustrated by Goldfarb U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,155 issued Jan. 19, 1985; including a body in the shape of an octahedron and constituted of a plurality of elements interconnected together to permit rotation of one-half of the body with respect to the other half along each of three orthogonal planes symmetrically passing through the body. The octahedron-shaped body is defined by a pair of interpenetrating tetrahedra presenting the outline appearance of a six-pointed star when the device is viewed along any one of the eight axes of the tetrahedra. The eight smaller tetrahedra, which define the outer face of the puzzle, may be manipulated to different positions with the aim of reproducing a predetermined pattern.
One possible internal mechanism which permits relative movement of the elements of the three-dimensional puzzles is taught in Isobe U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,623 issued Aug. 17, 1982. his mechanism comprises a central, spherical core and a plurality of guide canopies laterally spaced apart from one another such that the spaces between the edges of adjacent guide canopies define guide tracks. Seven movable elements are provided (each provided with a slide piece dimensioned to slide within and be retained by the canopies and guide spaces and attached to its element via an inwardly projecting slide leg free to move within the guide tracks), as well as an eighth, fixed element fastened to the central core. The guide canopies may first be attached to the central core; the seven movable blocks may then be assembled with their respective slide pieces inserted into the guide spaces via a slide piece insertion opening, and finally the fixed element may be fastened to the central core above the slide piece insertion opening.
Other patents of general background interest describing and illustrating hand-manipulatable toys or puzzles, include U.S. Pat. No. 3,081,089 Gustafson issued Mar. 12, 1963, U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,201 of Nichols issued Apr. 11, 1972 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,502 of Paulos issued Oct. 4, 1983.
Despite the various applications of such known three-dimensional toys and puzzles, there is no known chance selection application of such devices. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a parlour game for entertainment by generating and displaying groups of symbol combinations selected in pseudo-random sequence and by permitting the "reading" of the symbol combinations of the adjacent faces of the device with the purpose, for example, for predicting one's fortune or the like